Pouncing Lessons
by DragonRider122
Summary: Toph both teaches and disciplines her daughter in a way that only she could. Inspired by The Lion King. Twoshot.
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER: Korra isn't mine. Too bad.**

**I absolutely love Toph/Lin family fics; I think Toph would be a completely awesome mother. This oneshot is inspired by the scene where Mufasa teaches Simba to pounce.**

* * *

Crouching in the trees, Lin watched her Aunt Katara by the shore. The older woman's eyes were closed, face calm and peaceful as she gracefully flowed from one Waterbending form to the next. The ocean responded to her movements, twisting and rippling and heaving as if in a storm. She was a sight to behold.

Too damn calm for Lin's liking, though. Grinning devilishly, the ten-year-old lifted her foot and stomped down hard, intending to send her aunt flying.

Nothing happened.

Growling, Lin repeated the movement. Again, no movement. She tried over and over with no success until finally the frustration became too much. Yelling, the young Earthbender kicked a nearby boulder and sent it flying with a deafening crash. The sound was oddly satisfying.

"Whoa, whoa, take it easy, lionturtle! You almost squished me." Toph came into view behind the newly displaced chunk of rock. She cocked her head in Lin's direction. "What's the matter? Your heart sounds like you just ran from here to the South Pole."

Lin scowled and crossed her arms before remembering that her mother couldn't see her. "Mom, I'm trying to surprise Aunt Katara, but I can't! Something's wrong with my earthbending." She bit her lip fiercely.

Toph nodded. "No wonder. Sugar Queen is on the beach, kiddo. Sand is hard to bend unless you know how." She grinned devilishly. "Let an old pro show you how it's done."

Lin perked up. "Okay, I'm listening." That was the number one rule of earthbending, Toph had always said: _Listen_. Toph nodded in approval.

"There are two tricks with sand, both effective: You can take the grains and crush them into a solid, or you can go beneath the sand and find the underlying rock. For your prank, I'd suggest method two." Toph gently set her hands on Lin's shoulders. "Go ahead, kiddo."

Lin closed her eyes and cast out her senses. The sand was like a pair of scratched up binoculars; it was hard to get a good grip on her target. _Go beneath_, Toph had said. Lin burrowed into the sand like an earthworm, frowning slightly. This was harder than she expected…

_There._ Solid rock met her probing senses. Lin opened her eyes, grinned and stomped as hard as she could.

"AAHHHHH!" _Splash!_ Lin and Toph both fell over, howling with laughter, as an irate, sopping wet Katara screamed obscenities from the beach. "TOPH BEIFONG, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!"

"Gotta catch us first, Sugar Queen," the older earthbender singsonged, leaping to her feet and grabbing Lin's hand. "C'mon, kiddo, if she catches us there'll be hell to pay."

As they zoomed up towards the house on a giant slab of rock, Lin grabbed her mother's waist and hugged her tight. "You're the best mom ever," she giggled.

Toph smiled and rested a hand on her daughter's head. "You're not such a bad little bugger yourself."

Coming from Toph, it was as good as _I love you_.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER: Korra isn't mine. Too bad.**

**So this is part two of my _Lion King_ story. Needless to say, I'm basing this one off the "Elephant Graveyard" episode.**

* * *

Lin is dead. That's all there was to it. She's as dead as the dragons—deader, perhaps, because her mother is the one who will kill her, and she scares Lin more than any firebender, even the Fire Lord.

Sure, trying to bring down Yakone had seemed like a good idea at the time—what better way to prove to Toph that she deserved to be on the police force? But now that it's over the 13-year-old can't stop shaking, unable to forget the feeling of her own body rebelling against her as he bloodbent it. Lin bites her lips to hold back a whimper as she trudges behind Toph towards their house.

_ How the hell do I get myself into these messes?_

* * *

_The police station is almost like a second home to Lin. Toph spends the bulk of her time there (which isn't to say she neglects Lin; anyone who suggests that would find themself in an extremely unfortunate position facing two very angry—very powerful—earthbenders). Lin rather likes it; she is able to see how things work, the goings-on as people move in and out and officers discuss some of their current cases. Lately she's been hearing about some fellow named Yakone. Apparently the man is pretty slippery; he's one of the rare criminals who manages to cover his tracks well enough to avoid arrest. _

Maybe they could use some extra help_, Lin muses as she waits outside for her mother. _Mom even says that I'm better than some of the earthbenders she used to fight as the Blind Bandit. I'm sure if I ask her and logically argue, she can't say no….

_ Two powerful arms grab her from behind, and even though she's used to it Lin still lets out a tiny yelp. Toph laughs in her ear, hands on Lin's head as she rumples the young teen's hair. "Hey, kiddo. Waiting for your old mom to get off work, huh?"_

_ "Get off of me," Lin laughs, feebly struggling because Toph expects it. The Chief of Police smirks and burrows her head into Lin's collar, the way she always does, and Lin rests her cheek against her mother's black hair and closes her eyes. Nobody can make her feel safe the way Toph does._

_ "So what did you and Twinkletoes Junior do today?" Toph suggestively wiggles her eyebrows, and Lin blushes, devoutly thankful that Toph can't see. That lasted about two seconds until the older woman crowed, "Your heart's beating faster than a sky bison flies!"_

_ "Oh, shut up, Mom!" Lin groans, shoving her mother roughly. Toph just shoves back with a smirk._

_ "Don't get your undies in a bunch, missy." Toph turns and begins walking up the street, chuckling to herself. Shaking her head, Lin follows. _Honestly.

_ "Word around the station is that you can't get ahold of that Yakone guy," Lin says casually, carefully watching her mother. Toph sighs in exasperation and shrugs a shoulder._

_ "Well, yeah, but we'll get the slimebag eventually. Even the good ones slip up sooner or later, and I've got my best officers working to take him down. Don't worry about it, kiddo. Police work is my job, being a stupid, angsty teenager is yours."_

_ "Oh, thanks a lot," Lin grumbles as Toph smirks at her again. "Um, I actually have something to ask you…."_

_ "Spit it out, then!" the Chief exclaims impatiently, earning a small giggle from Lin. "I read moods, not minds, Linny."_

_ "Well, I thought that since, you know, you always say how good I am, I could help you take down Yakone—"_

_ "NO!" Toph yells, and Lin jumps back in fright, because her mother hardly ever raises her voice. Toph's milky green eyes are blazing. "No. Absolutely not. Yakone is dangerous, Lin; I don't want you around him." _

_ "But I could help you—"_

_ "Lin Beifong, I said no!" The ground shakes slightly, and Lin cringes. Toph sighs and softens just a bit, stepping forward as she raises her hands. Lin catches them, unsure of what her mother wants until they slide up to rest on the young earthbender's shoulders. "He could hurt you very badly," Toph says quietly, and Lin shudders because she has never heard Toph sound this way. "I'm not willing to risk you, Lin. Spirits, if he ever got ahold of you…" Toph pulls her daughter close, holding her protectively._

_ "I'm fine, Mom," Lin mumbles into Toph's neck. "I was just wondering, okay? I'm not gonna go looking for the guy."_

_For such a criminal, Yakone doesn't look all that evil. He looks like any other high-class gentleman in Republic City, having a normal lunch meeting with other normal high-class gentleman on a normal sunny spring day._

_ Except there's nothing normal about it. Lin is crouching in a back alley with her ear pressed to the ground. It's a simple trick her mother taught her to eavesdrop, and what she's heard is enough to send this guy and his buddies to lockup for life_. Boy, no wonder Mom wants this jerk so badly.

_ Finally the meeting adjourns, and Lin makes her move. As Yakone begins to leave, she steps out of the alley and faces him. "Hello, young lady," Yakne smiles genially. "Is there something I can help you with?"_

_ "It's over, Yakone," she snarls, dropping into an earthbending stance. "I'm Lin Beifong and I'm going to take you in."_

_ His demeanor doesn't change, but frost creeps into his gaze. "Ahh, so you're the Chief's daughter? It's unfortunate that you heard my little meeting just now. I'm afraid you'll have to come with me."_

_ "I'm not going anywhere with you!" Lin spits. She begins to raise the earth around him to make a cage, but suddenly she freezes. Her body refuses to move. "Wh—wha—?"_

_ "Let's go somewhere else to discuss this. I insist." Yakone makes some sort of motion with his hand, and Lin follows, her limbs working against her will. Icy hot fear pours through her body. _What's happening to me?

_ She is forced into his ostrich-horse carriage, and as they begin to move he leans forward with a fierce gaze. "Did your mother send you to spy on me? Pathetic; if this is her last resort our law enforcement is lacking indeed."_

_ "Don't you dare talk about my mother!" Lin spits. Suddenly a fist punches her in the jaw, and she cries out in pain. Yakone hasn't moved, simply watching her, and with a chill Lin realizes it was her own hand that struck her. "What are you doing to me?" she whimpers._

_ "Bloodbending," he says simply. "I do not require a full moon to ply my art. The spirits have given me a grand gift, and I intend to use it. Pity you had to find out, though. Your poor mother will be heartbroken when she finds you."_

_ Lin grits her teeth. "I don't care if you control my body. I'm not going to let you just take me!" Gathering her strength, she stamps her foot hard. The carriage jolts, and then out of the corner of her eye she sees her fist swinging. Her knuckle jams into her temple, and she goes limp, dazed. Yakone chuckles darkly._

_ "You have spirit, girl. As I said, pity it'll be wasted…"_

_ The carriage suddenly, violently slams into something. Lin yells as she is jolted against the wall. Yakone hisses in surprise, letting go of her. The ostrich-horse screeches outside; there is yelling and suddenly the door is yanked open. Lin almost cries in relief as she sees the face of one of her mother's officers. "I found her, Chief!" he calls before looking back into the carriage. "Are you all right, Lin?"_

_ Lin can't speak; she thinks she might cry if she does. Yakone, who has straightened himself out, answers. "The girl was walking back to your station, Officer. It was rather a long walk, so I offered to give her a ride. A young lady needs to be careful on the streets these days."_

_ The man growls something at Yakone, and Lin takes her chance to scramble out of the carriage. More words are exchanged, but she doesn't hear them because as soon as she touches the ground, Toph is there. The Chief says nothing, simply grabbing Lin and holding her tightly, and Lin feels relieved and so, so very guilty. She swallows hard. "Mom, I—"_

_ "You deliberately disobeyed me," Toph snaps, abruptly letting go of Lin. The teenager swallows hard and wills herself not to cry. Toph's face is angrier than Lin has ever seen it as she turns away. "Let's go home."_

* * *

They've been sitting at the table for almost an hour and Toph hasn't said a word. Lin bites her lip and tries not to fidget, wondering how much longer this is going to go on.

Just when she decides that her mother will never speak to her again, Toph says flatly "I told you not to go after him and you did."

Lin chokes back tears. "I—I'm sorry, Mom. I—I just—"

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? If we hadn't found you when we did, you would have been killed!" Toph slams her hands on the table, and the entire house shakes. "What the _hell _were you thinking?"

"I wanted to prove to you that I'm good enough!" The words come unbidden from someplace deep inside. "I wanted to show you that I'm brave and strong like you, that I can be on the force and that I'm not too young! I wanted to show that I can do great things too even though I'm young, just like you did, Mom!" She's crying now, unable to keep the tears inside anymore. "I just wanted to be like you."

Toph rises silently and moves to stand next to her daughter. Lin flinches, expecting to be struck, but instead Toph's hands gently slide down her face to cup her chin. "Lin Beifong, look at me," she says quietly, crouching down to eye level. Lin almost asks why; Toph cannot, after all, see her face, but she says nothing and looks into her mother's milky eyes. She's beyond shocked to see tears there. "You have nothing to prove to anyone. I know you're brave and strong, Lin—you're my daughter, how could you not be?" Toph gently strokes her thumb  
across her daughter's face, catching the moisture on her cheeks. "I don't want you to be like me. Trying to be someone else won't make you happy. I want you to be like _you_, Lin. I want you to be the strong hellion you are. You're the best earthbender I know, and one day you'll be the best metalbender too."

Lin tries to speak through her sobs. "But I—I wanted to be brave the way you are. You—nothing scares you, Mom! You fought Phoenix King Ozai and you weren't scared!"

Toph smiles ever so slightly. "Sokka tells that story the wrong way and you know it. I was scared, Lin, but I didn't let my fear get the best of me. That's what courage is. And I was scared today. When I heard Yakone had taken you…I thought I would lose you." Her voice shakes. "That's the one thing I can't live without, Lin—you."

Lin leans forward and flings her arms around Toph, face buried into her mother's neck. "I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry. I was so scared; he—he bloodbent me…"

"I know. But he's not going to touch you ever again." Toph's strong hand moves softly through Lin's hair, and the girl closes her eyes. "I promise, Lin. Nobody messes with your mom."

She giggles slightly. "Yeah, I know."


End file.
